6. Cook over moderate heat until the spice mix is cooked and the oil rises to the surface. (See no. 1 below.)

mix well and cook over moderate heat

the masala starts to change colour

the masala is ready when it starts to bubble and the oil leaves the sides of the pan

7. Add the prawns and fold in the masala till it coats the prawns.

add the prawns

prawns coated with ‘masala’

8. Increase the heat and cover the pan. Cook for 1 minute and then reduce heat to moderate-high.

prawns ready to be covered

cover with lid

8. When cooked, serve the prawns as an accompaniment with dhaan dal (rice and dal), or as a salad, or as a pickle, or as a main course with Indian flat breads, or . . . well, the choices are endless!

serve on a bed of salad leaves

ready for the masala

drizzle some masala on the prawns

a serving of parsi style prawns

And finally, a few facts to remember when cooking this dish:

1. Start cooking the masala in cold oil. Heat the oil after the masala has been added. Adding the masala to the cold oil helps cook it till the flavours from the ground spices comes out without burning it!

2. If brown vinegar is not available, use apple cider vinegar instead.

3. This dish can also be made with fish, especially a dried fish called boomla (that’s also frequently known as Bombay Duck) and it can then be used as a pickle!

4. You can use any leftover spice mix to cook with slices of eggplant, or grated carrots, as you wish.

About Ajoy Joshi

i've been a chef for over three decades now! i trained in chennai and started off with the taj hotel group. i've owned nilgiri's indian restaurant in sydney for over 15 years. i'm on a mission to dispel the myth that indian food is no more than a 'curry in a hurry'! come with me as i try and educate. indian food is my passion (alongside cricket!) and i'm enjoying exploring the new social media and as well as having published cookery books i'm now moving into videos. simple and easy to follow that don't go on for hours like some Bollywood movies!